Ironman 70.3 Vineman - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Guerneville, California
United States
Vineman, Inc.
85F / 29C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 54m
Overall Rank = 976/2152
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 169/289
Pre-race routine:

Stayed at our family home at Dillon Beach about 45 min from the race. Got up at 4am and ate my favorite pre-race Hawaiian roles with peanut butter and honey. Tried to leave early enough to not cause any additional stress about being late and arrived 45 min prior to the pro start.
Event warmup:

Swim start is very confined so my only warm up was a quick 50 yd swim to test the goggles and get the blood flowing.
Swim
  • 36m 48s
  • 2112 yards
  • 01m 44s / 100 yards
Comments:

Ok swim for me. 32 min was my goal and came in at 36 with a bit of walking through the shallows.
What would you do differently?:

Swim the shallow portions the day prior to the race in order to find the best routes through the shallows.
Transition 1
  • 04m 53s
Comments:

My transition was a bit slow. The transition area is dirt so I did my best to get my feet clean and dry. It's not conducive to leaving shoes in the pedals and really requires shoes to be put on prior to running to the bike start. The start is on a very steep incline. I followed most others and ran my bike to the top which was much faster than trying to clip in and ride up.
What would you do differently?:

Taken suit off in the pro transition area as it's covered and not in the dirt.
Bike
  • 2h 58m
  • 56 miles
  • 18.88 mile/hr
Comments:

Ok bike for me. This was my first Vineman and now knowing where to conserve and where to push will definitely make for a better ride next year.
What would you do differently?:

Save some gas for the second half as this can be very fast until Chalk Hill.
Transition 2
  • 04m 55s
Comments:

I had a good dismount but the transition area is in the center quad of Windsor HS. This has a long run taking a couple of minutes. It was even slower as a woman decided to stop and talk to her family clogging up the very narrow lane. I made the decision to take an extra minute to apply sunscreen after getting fried in Hawaii. I was feeling good enough to leave behind my water bottle with GU Roctane mix and just survive off the course.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing
Run
  • 2h 09m
  • 13.1 miles
  • 09m 51s  min/mile
Comments:

I ran the majority of the course and only walked the aid stations and very steep hills. I had to use the porta-hopper at mi 1 and dropped a couple of Gu packets twice that I had to stop and pick up. Otherwise my run was good and my history of quad cramps didn't repeat thankfully. At about mi 12 I ran up on an older guy who decided to hurl right as I passed. He was trying to run with me but kept getting dry heaves which made me stop and let him run on or I would have lost my cookies.
What would you do differently?:

Need to find better drained shoes for this distance. After all the water, spray, and ice my shoes get very squishy by about mi 8.
Post race
Warm down:

My stomach was really bothering me and I thought I was going to have the runs. Fortunately the HS has very nice restrooms and I was able to resolve this prior to the drive back to the beach house. I ate some watermelon and drank enough to feel better.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of course knowledge and swim route to avoid the shallows.

Event comments:

Good race with great volunteers. It lacks some of the vibe of the other larger races mostly likely due to the transitions being 17 mi apart.




Last updated: 2012-11-09 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:36:48 | 2112 yards | 01m 44s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/289
Overall: 0/2152
Performance: Average
Suit: TYR Cat 5 sleeveless
Course: Out and back in the Russian River. Current is minimal given the check dam below the start. Water was pretty warm and given that my wave was so deep into the pack the silt was really churned up. I was able to stick to the deeper sections and only grounded out a couple of times once past the turn and had to walk about 50 yds. Not the most conducive to a fast swim.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Waves
Water temp: 72F / 22C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Navigation: Good
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 04:53
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
02:58:00 | 56 miles | 18.88 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/289
Overall: 0/2152
Performance: Average
Wind: Little
Course: The bike starts out very fast for the first 5 mi until turning off of River Road down a steep road with gravel at the bottom. Having drove this section I was prepared for this and the very steep incline that comes shortly after. The rest of the course is rolling with a few long gradual inclines and a long descent out to Highway 101. From there it is really fast until hitting Chalk Hill. This is not a hill and is better characterized as a rough winding section of road cumulating in a very steep section that everyone, including the pros, just have to grind out at 6 to 8 mph for what seems like an eternity. From here it is downhill and flat with a few inclines and several signalized intersections before reaching T2.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Average Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 04:55
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes Average
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:09:00 | 13.1 miles | 09m 51s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/289
Overall: 0/2152
Performance: Average
Course: Paved and rolling with one exception being the run through La Crema winery. This portion is dirt but at the beginning there was a long cooling station with about 20' of showering water. I promptly bought a few bottles of wine on the way home to thank them for the needed relief. There were a couple of other aid stations near homes with cool water spray stations that also was very welcome.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4